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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29725668">4 AM</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/theangryotter/pseuds/theangryotter'>theangryotter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dead Poets Society (1989)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Actor!Neil, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, M/M, sassy todd, this is just fluff, todd is funny let's not pretend he isn't</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:33:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,538</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29725668</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/theangryotter/pseuds/theangryotter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: You found me crying on the kitchen floor in the middle of the night surrounded by a shattered jelly jar.</p><p> <br/>Alternatively: Todd finds Neil crying on the kitchen floor in the middle of the night surrounded by a shattered jelly jar.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Todd Anderson/Neil Perry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>74</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>4 AM</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My first fic in a really long time, I'm a bit rusty but I hope you enjoy nonetheless!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Todd Anderson was not by any means a light sleeper. In fact he had slept through three years of sleep talking in his ear almost every night, but it had taken practice. Todd’s first year at Welton had been difficult in many aspects, being the new kid, struggling to balance studies and social life and harbouring feelings for his roommate was a struggle in itself but what was almost worst was said roommate’s monologues while he was fast asleep keeping Todd awake to toss and turn in the bed on his respective side of the room leaving him drained the next day. Though after a few months Todd’s subconscious had gotten used to the constant dramatic babbles from the bed a few feet away from his own and he slept through the night without interruptions, which drastically improved his life.</p><p>No, Todd was not a light sleeper but the thundering shatter of glass woke him up in a flash as if he had not been asleep in the first place. He jolted up, hyperaware of his surroundings. He turned to see if the sleep talker had woken up but that side of the bed was empty, only a trace of warmth in the sheets. Flashes of scenarios ran through Todd’s head faster than he could comprehend, <em>Neil was kidnapped!</em> There was a robber! The neighbours cat had broken in! An alien! He shook his head, abruptly aware that he needed to actually get out of the bedroom to investigate the source of the sound.</p><p>Todd rose from the bed, feeling a cold shiver running up his spine, <em>what if there really was someone in their apartment?</em> What was he going to do? Oh shit. He should have taken those self defence classes with Meeks when he offered. Why didn’t he take them? Too late now, he would have to sneak to the kitchen and grab something to defend himself. He grasped the door handle as quietly as he could manage and tiptoed into the hallway, he could feel goosebumps spreading from his arms to the back of his neck.</p><p>He was close to the kitchen, the light was on and he could only hear muffled sounds. Moving as stealthily as he could he peeked around the corner. The scene before him was almost as bad as he was expecting, his muscles were tense and he could do nothing but dumbly stare at what was happening before him. </p><p>Neil was on the floor, beside him a shattered raspberry jelly jar but what was most mortifying was the flood of tears streaming down the brunette's face and the quiet sobs echoing through the kitchen.</p><p>“N-Neil?” Todd was dumbfounded, caught in his tracks, the only part of him that was able to move were his eyes darting from the man to the jam that was splattered across the floor amongst pieces of glass. It almost looked like a murder scene with all the red splotches that were, quite frankly, everywhere. “Babe?”</p><p>“Oh <em>perfect</em>, I also m-managed to wake you up. That’s just per-perfect!” Neil sobbed, not even looking up from the mess on the floor.</p><p>“Neil, wha-”</p><p>The brunette hastily wiped the tears from his cheeks but to no avail, fresh tears kept streaming down his face “Todd don’t worry, go back to bed p-please, you have that thing in the m-morning,” he finally managed to look up at Todd, his face distraught.</p><p>“Babe, will you <em>please</em> calm down and tell me what in God’s name is going on in here?” Todd realised he was still standing in the same spot in the entrance and moved closer to the distressed man, leaning on the counter opposite him, carefully avoiding the chunks of glass.</p><p>Neil dropped his head into his hands and groaned “W-we have dress rehearsals tomorrow and I can’t remember any of m-my lines and everything is horrible, I forgot to buy milk, I can’t make it to your mom’s birthday on Tuesday, my director is going to fire me-” the sobbing took over, the words tumbling over each other and Todd couldn’t help the smile tugging on his lips, <em>why were actors so melodramatic?</em></p><p>“Honey, seriously, you’re going to have to slow down and breathe,” he managed to say without laughing, but barely.</p><p>“And now I’ve woken you up and our only jar of jelly is ruined, I <em>just</em> want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, is that too much to ask for? And let’s not forget that I’m supposed to be on vocal rest-” Neil went on, his words muffled by his hands.</p><p>“Wait, you’re supposed to be on vocal rest?” Todd couldn’t help the smile any longer, this was not the first time his boyfriend broke vocal rest over the years, and it never stopped being amusing because Neil really, really tried every time but it never really panned out, he always had so much to say and energy to waste.</p><p>“Yes, Todd, I thought I told you this yesterday?” the actor mumbled, looking up at the grinning man before him and scowling at the obvious humour at his expense.</p><p>“Could’ve fooled me with all the sleep talking you’ve been doing tonight.” Todd replied, finding it impossible to be serious in this discussion.</p><p>Neil let out a sound that could only be described as a gurgle, a wobbly smile creeping on his face “Leave me be, I need to <em>cry</em> right now, you’re not supposed to make me laugh.”</p><p>“I really cannot be faulted for being the funny one in the relationship.” the blonde teased lightly.</p><p>“That is so not true!” Neil protested, the tears completely forgotten, replaced with an outraged expression.</p><p>“Ask literally anyone, Neil. Also stop talking you’re supposed to be on vocal rest,” Todd smirked and helped his boyfriend to his feet, treading carefully around the shards of glass. “Now let me make you a sandwich since you <em>clearly</em> are incapable of that task.” he mumbled, getting the broom from the corner of the kitchen, the vacuum would surely earn them a noise complaint from the family living below them.</p><p>“It’s four in the morning, please go back to bed babe,” Neil argued while Todd busied himself with sweeping the floor and wiping the sticky residue from the floor. “Seriously Todd, stop that, I’ll do it-” but the blonde waved him away, pushing him to sit by the kitchen table. “I will cope without eating-” but his words seemed to have no effect.</p><p>“Just sit down, idiot.” Todd breathed as he finished the cleaning job as well as he could without a vacuum.</p><p>“You’re so mean during the night,” Neil’s pout could practically be heard without Todd turning around to look at him.</p><p>“Did you or did you not wake me up during the night?” Todd really wasn’t too fussed about it but teasing Neil was truly one of his life passions.</p><p>Todd reached into the cabinets, rummaging in the far back, coming up with an unopened jar of jelly, it was strawberry but Neil couldn’t afford to be picky right now even though strawberry was not <em>nearly</em> as good combined with peanut butter as raspberry jam was. With practiced ease the blonde had the sandwich ready in no time and Neil couldn’t help but sigh at the sight of his boyfriend with his hair messed up from the pillow, locks sticking out in various places, practically aching for Neil’s hands to reach out and smooth them down. But he was distracted when a plate with a sandwich cut diagonally, crust cut off was laid in front of him.</p><p>“You’re perfect,” the brunette breathed accompanied by a small smile and Todd truly thought he was so delightful, the moonlight from the window illuminating Neil’s face, highlighting his cheekbones. A sight for sore eyes but in this case genuinely sore from the lack of sleep.</p><p>“You flatter me for my food.” he managed to reply.</p><p>“Okay, let’s not pretend this is a <em>Michelin star</em> dish to make,” Neil teased, biting into the sandwich with a mischievous glint in his eyes. <em>Finally</em>, Todd thought, he was back to himself.</p><p>“And yet you couldn’t handle it,” he ruffled the brunette's hair and kissed the top of his head.</p><p>“Hey,” Neil protested, “that’s just mean.”</p><p>Todd knew they could keep this conversation going for hours, knowing the two of them. He was fighting a yawn but lost the battle. “I’m going back to bed, are you coming or am I going to have to come back in here to get you?” he yawned again and hugged his boyfriend from behind, sneaking a kiss on the cheek.</p><p>“I’m-” the brunette tried to answer with his mouth full, “I’m coming in a bit” he finished chewing and leaned back into the touch. Todd couldn’t really find the strength to move away to break the contact, despite the chewing sounds right against his ear. When Neil was finished eating they stood up, Todd took the brunette's hand and led him back into the bedroom.</p><p>“Please go to sleep.”</p><p>“Only if you give me a good night’s kiss,” Neil whispered mischievously, scooting closer, capturing Todd’s lips softly, smiling into the kiss.</p><p>“Now <em>actually</em> rest your voice or I’m calling the director tomorrow.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay so this is my first fic in this fandom so I'm really sorry if they're not completely in character, I just wanted to write banter between the two, if you look at the deleted cave scene with Keating you can really see that Todd has gained a lot of self esteem so I was keeping that in mind. Also English is not my first language so my vocabulary is limited to thesaurus, hopefully you still enjoyed this fic! Thanks for reading, please tell me what you think!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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